Forging Wind Turbine Main Shafts

The wind turbine main shaft is a critical large forging that connects the wind rotor (blades and hub) to the gearbox (or directly to the generator in direct-drive models). Located at the forefront of the wind turbines transmission chain, its primary function is to smoothly transmit the enormous torque and rotational kinetic energy captured by the wind rotor to the subsequent power generation system, while simultaneously withstanding gravity, aerodynamic thrust, bending moments, and complex alternating loads from the wind rotor.

Due to its extreme operating conditions and importance, the main shaft must possess extremely high reliability, fatigue strength, and comprehensive mechanical properties. A failure would result in extremely high lifting costs for replacement and lead to lengthy downtime.